The present invention relates to a bed with adjustable components for raising and lowering the occupant""s back and legs. More particularly, the invention relates to beds having adjustable back and leg sections and more particularly to an improved mattress construction for a bed with adjustable elevation components.
Beds that are adjustable to change the posture of the occupant have been used for patients in hospitals or residents in nursing homes, especially for those patients who are nonambulatory. It is often necessary to provide a bed that can be adjusted by the patient to a variety of positions. For example, a patient returning from surgery may be required to avoid any strain until a certain healing process has progressed efficiently to allow ambulation. However, adjustable beds have grown beyond their use for nonambulatory patients and have been found desirable as a lifestyle product by many healthy people.
Unfortunately, adjustable beds found in the prior art range from beds provided with a mechanical crank at the foot to be adjusted by a person other an the occupant to pneumatic and electromechanical devices which control posture from controls operated by the occupant. However, the mechanical beds of the prior art are generally speaking cumbersome and expensive. Other types of adjustable beds, those using air mattresses, require some type of rigid frame between the air chambers and the mattress. Moreover, the mattresses must typically be held in place to bend to conform to the desired shape as sections are raised.
An example of an adjustable bed is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,522, which teaches a bed having a foundation for supporting an air mattress. The foundation has a plurality of pivotally connected transverse plates between the mattress and a foundation that are moved to bend the mattress to a desired contour and shape. The plates are caused to move by inflatable, flexible bags.
Another adjustable bed is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,298 which discloses a pneumatically adjustable bed. The elevation of the back and legs sections are aided by a four piece rigid bedboard which underlies the mattress and provides a hard surface against which the air bladders inflate to a particular area of the mattress. The sections of the bedboard are hinged together and configured to underlie an inflatable mattress. The mattress is held in place with a tie down strap.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an adjustable bed having an elevated back section and an elevated leg section that may be used as a conventional mattress with a conventional bed frame and box springs.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bed having a mattress formed in separate interconnecting sections for easy elevation that may be raised and lowered using inflatable air chambers under the section of the mattress to be raised.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a mattress having sections that may be separated from each other and packaged for easy shipment.
The present invention is directed to a bed with air adjustable elevation components having a generally rectangular foundation, a mattress having a plurality of sections, and an air chamber under each section of the mattress that is to be raised. The profile and shape of the mattress is controlled by inflating and deflating each air chamber to elevate and incline the sections of the mattress.
The mattress is formed in separate sections adapted to elevate portions of the body including the back and legs. In a preferred embodiment, a buttock section between the back section and the leg section is provided. The leg section preferably includes an upper leg section and adjacent lower leg section. The upper surface of each of the section of the mattress is generally rectangular. The sides of upper leg section and lower leg section abutting each other are formed at an angle such that when the leg sections of the mattress are in a non-elevated position a generally V-shaped cut out area is formed between the two sections. The sections are connected together by a fastening means such as a zipper or the like.
In a preferred embodiment, the air chambers are sized to fit into concave cut out portions on the underside of the back section and the lower leg sections. The air chambers are made of materials flexible elastomeric materials. The air chambers are connected to a pump and a controller is provided to easily inflate and deflated the chambers, together or separately, with compressed air.
Because of the ability of the sections of the mattress to easily articulate the mattress is able to readily conform to the users body. In addition, because the sections of the mattress may be separated one from the other, the mattress is easily packaged for shipment to a customer.